Italian

Italian is a beautiful language spoken by over 60 million people worldwide. It is the official language of Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, and Switzerland. Italian is also one of the four official languages of Albania. Italian is a Romance language, which means that it is derived from Latin. However, unlike other Romance languages, Italian has retained a large number of its Latin roots. This makes it one of the most interesting and unique languages to learn. Italian has a rich history and has been influenced by a variety of cultures. For example, the Italian alphabet contains 21 letters, which is a combination of the Latin alphabet and two additional letters, “j” and “k”, which were added in the Middle Ages. Italian is a relatively easy language to learn, especially for speakers of other Romance languages. However, there are a few key things that make it unique. For example, Italian has two different forms of the pronoun “you”. The formal form, “lei”, is used when addressing someone of high rank, a stranger, or someone you want to show respect to. The informal form, “tu”, is used when addressing friends, family, or children. Another unique aspect of Italian is its use of the gerund. The gerund is a verb form that is used to express ongoing action. In Italian, the gerund is used in place of the present tense. For example, the sentence “I am reading” would be “Sto leggendo” in Italian. Italian is a beautiful and unique language that is definitely worth learning. With a little effort, you can be speaking Italian like a native in no time!